Washington, D.C., Likely to Extend Bar Hours During Women’s World Cup

The move is being made to accommodate overnight game times in Australia and New Zealand.

Washington, D.C., likely will be extra lively when the 2023 women’s World Cup begins in July.

Kenyan McDuffie, a councilmember in the nation’s capital, initiated a bill on June 5 to permit bars and restaurants to remain open 24 hours when the World Cup begins on July 20 and until the tournament concludes on Aug. 20. Businesses in the city will be allowed to sell alcohol around the clock except from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. each day of the quadrennial event.

The move was proposed because the World Cup is being contested in Australia and New Zealand, which will feature overnight games in U.S. time zones.

• Apstein: The Future Is Now for USWNT

All 13 District of Columbia councilmembers approved the action. The measure must still be approved by Washington mayor Muriel Bowser by June 29. As the U.S. women’s national team seeks its third consecutive World Cup title this summer, McDuffie believes the nation’s capital should be at the forefront in cheering for the national team.

“This event takes place every four years and is a Super Bowl-type sporting event for soccer fans," McDuffie told the council during a legislative meeting on June 6. “… Local soccer fans are expected to watch the 2023 women’s World Cup tournament regardless of the hour.”

The 24-hour regulation for D.C. restaurants and bars in this year’s World Cup isn’t without precedent. During the ’22 men’s World Cup, the city implemented a similar motion to show its support for the U.S. men’s national team that was competing in Qatar.